Round straightener



l N0v.19,1946. SUTTON 2,411,395'

ROUND STRAIGHTENER l Filed Aug. 15, 1944 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 l Nov. `19, 1946. J. B. SUTTON ROUND STRAIGHTENER Filed- Aug. l5, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 vllllllllJ l I I .n

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Nov. I9, 1946. -J. B. sp1-TON 5 1 2,411,395

ROUND sTRAiGHTBNER Filed Aug. 15, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ya @JW (dw-M NOV' 19, 1946- J. B. SUTTON 2,411,395

ROUND STRIGHTENER l Filed Aug. 15, 1944 m 5 Sheets-sheet 5 INVENTOR bbaFwM/y PatentedNov. 19, 1946 ROUND STRAIGHTENER John Blair Sutton, Beilefonte, Pa., assignor'to,v Sutton Engineering Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.. a corporation oi Pennsyl Application August 15, 1944, Serial No. 549,582

7 Claims. (Cl. 153-60) The invention relates to cross-roll straightening machines, machines, that is to say, embodying cross-rolls for the hot or cold rolling or straightening of bars, rods, shafts, pipes, tubes,

'and other sections. I

Ordinarily, a cross-roll straightening machine includes several passes comprising each a pluralyity of cross-rolls, and the rolls of each pass are relatively adjustable, to adapt the machine for different sizes and sorts of work. In general the invention is directed to certain refinements and elaborations in cross rolling machines, in consequence of which the required adjustments may he more readily and accurately effected.

More particularly the invention is applicable to and effective in large tube-straightening maehines--machines adapted to process tubes and pipes of large diameter. In a large machine of this kind there is a tendency for the rolls to distort the walls of the tubes being treated, and I nkhave found that four rolls may be so organized in each pass that the harmful effects of this objectionable tendency are eliminated. My invention contemplates an arrangement of each crossroll pass in which the position of the rolls and their mounting means are at least approximately symmetrical about the center of the stock acted upon, and in which the distorting pressure of the rolls is minimized by a symmetrical or approximately symmetrical load application to the stock.

. A further consideration is the provision of suitable driving means for large, contoured crossrolls arranged in the above-mentioned multiple organization.

The invention still further embraces improved roll-driving means, and improved means for adjusting the rolls of each pass, and for adjusting the passes themselves relatively to one another. While the present Vimprovements vare applicable to cross rolling machines in general, they are particularly advantageous in a large tubestraightening machine of the sort mentioned, and in such embodiment the invention is hereinafter described. i

In the accompanying drawings Fig. I is a view in side elevation of such machine; the machine will ordinarily be mounted upon a heavy concrete base extending below floor level, and 4in Fig. I such a base is shown in vertical section. Fig. II is a. view in cross section of the machine and base, taken on the plane II-II of Fig. I. Fig. III is a phantom view, illustrating, on the plane III- III of Fig. II, the three roll passes which in this case the machine includes. Fig. IV is a fragmentary view, showing to largerscale a single cross-roll, its supporting yoke, and the adjusting means and driving elements Vassociated therewith; the parts shown in Fig. IV appear partly in side elevation and partly in section on the plane IV--IV of Fig. 1I. Fig. V is a fragmentary view, showing ayoke and cross-roll assembly to still larger scale,

and showing the yoke partly in elevation and partly in axial section. And Fig. VI is a fragmentary, sectional view, taken on the plane VI-VI of Fig. I.

Referring to Figs. I-and II, the reference numeral i indicates the concrete base upon which two opposed bed members 2 are firmly supported,

and reinforced by cross-ties 2a. Three housings or auxiliary frames 3, 3, 3 are borne upon the opposite bed members 2, and each housing includes four cross-rolls 4 which form one of the three roll passes of the machine. The concrete base is recessed, as shown, to provide clearance for portions of the machine extending downward, between the bed members 2, and below floor level.

,The manner in which a cross rolling machine operates to straighten or roll down rounds (a round being stock of round cross section) is generally known in the art; the powerfully rotated cross rolls of the several passes exert lateral pressure upon the stock, and helically propel it through the machine, as the arrows on tube T indicate in Fig. III. 'I'he pass line of the intermediate group or pass of rolls of a cross-roll straightening machine is oiset laterally from the normal pass line PL of the machine, the normal pass line |being considered a straight line extending 'through the centers of the entering and leaving roll passes, to deectingly act on stock traveling through the machine. Thus, the stock is laterally bowed as it helically advances between the entering and leaving roll passes of the machine. The effect of such known treatment is to straighten and true the stock.

While the cross-rolls are so shaped or contoured that in known manner they engage the stock in ,lines of contact of substantial lengths, such extended lines of contact are ineffective in the case of large tubes (in which the ratio of the tube diameter to its wall thickness commonly is great) to inhibit the objectionable tendency of the tube 'walls to bulge and become distorted under the inuence of the inwardly directed pressures of the rolls. That is to say, the walls of a tube under the pressure of cross-rolls tend to bulge circum` ferentially outward between `the points or lines of contact of the rolls with the tube. In overcoming this objection, four cross-rolls 4 are pro- 3 I vided; the four rolls are substantially equispaced about the pass line upon which the tube T' (Fig.

II) is advanced, and advantageously all four rolls' 4of the pass are powerfully rotated.

In operating upon heavy work of the sort under present consideration, the lateral, flexing thrust A (Fig. III) of "the intermediate pass, and the opposing thrusts B`-B of the entering and leaving passes are of relatively great magnitude. The .usual cross-roll straightening machines employ only two cross-rolls in each pass, and it appears that the rollsand supports therefor of such a machine cannot be designed to withstand the strains, certainly not without going to extremely heavy and costly construction. AIn providing four cross-rolls in each pass the lateral thrusts (A and B) are advantageously divided between two rolls. The arrows B' and B" in Fig. II illustrate how the lateral thrust B of 'the leaving, pass is divided between two cross-rolls.

` To adapt the machine for various sizes of tubes, the rolls 4 ofreach pass are adjustable radially of the pass' line of the machine, and, as will pres-4 ently appear, means are provided to effect radial adjustment of the rollsjof a pass.

It is further desirable that Vthe degree of tube exing shall be varied to suit different sizes of tubes, and such variation in degree of flexing is the bed members, that is, transversely of the normal pass v'line of the machine, as indicated by arrows a in Fig. III.. Upon the upper faces of the bed members 2 are secured guides 5, serving in conjunction with the brackets 3a to maintain the intermediate roll housing 3 in xed position, .longitudinally ofthe pass line, while providing adjustment of its pass 'out of alignment with the primary line of the pass Yas defined in the entering and leaving roll groups.

Again turning to Fig. VI, means for effecting the transverse adjustment of the intermediate housing 3 are illustrated. Such means comprise a threaded shaft 6 rotatably secured to the housing 3 at 1, and extending in threaded engagement with a sleeve or nut 8 secured to the 'adjacent bed member 2. The shaft 6 includes a journal portion 6a upon which a gear 9 is sldably keyed; a pinion I0, responsive to the rotation of a hand wheel II in either direction, is effective to rotate the gear 9 in either direction of rotation, whereby the shaft 6, turning within fixed sleeve or nut 8, is effective to shift the housing`3 transversely of the pass line. The brackets 3a, that ride the opposite bed members 2 are provided with slots 3b,

through each of which a lock-bolt I 2 extends;

the lower end of each lock-bolt is secured in the underlying body of the supporting bed member,

and the upper end of the bolt carries a nutJI3, lying above the slot 3b. Normally, the nuts I3 are tightened on the bolts I2, and the brackets 3a are thereby securely fixed upon the bed members 2, but, upon loosening the nuts, the housing 3 may be adjusted in the manner explained.

Additional locking means may be organized with the screw shaft 6, and such means may comprise an externally threadedsleeve I4, slid? ably keyed to the shaft portion 6a. The sleeve includes a flange I4a' adapted to engage the inner face of a housing I5 for the gearing 9, III, andv a lock-nut I6 is arranged on the threaded sleeve externally of such housing. Normally. the locknut I6 v,lies tight against the external face of housing I5, and the flange I4a held forcefully against the inner face of'the housing, whereby the sleeve is locked in xed position, and the shaft 6 keyed thereto is held against rotation. Alternately, when the lock-nut is loosened, the sleeve I4 may idly rotate, andl the shaft 6 may be operated for effecting adjustment of the intermediate housing 3.

Obviously, the adjustment of the intermediate roll group, by simple modification well within I the knowledge of an engineer skilled in the art,

maybe provided by vertical rather than transverse adjustment of the housing for the intermediate roll group.

Still another adjustment-fof the machine is desirable. As -indicated by the arrows b `in Fig.V

III, the entering or leaving passes of rolls, or desirably both of suchl passes, areV adjustable longitudinally of the pass line PL. The housings 3 of the entering and ,leaving passes include side brackets 3c whichrest upon the bed members 2 and shown in Fig. I, threaded shafts I1 are rotatably xed in stationary journals 2b on opposite ends of the bed members 2;l these shafts Il severally extend in threaded engagement with lugs 3d integrated with the brackets 3c ofthe housings 3, whereby rotation ofthe shafts will produce movement of the housings longitudinally of the machine.

with the entering roll housing are rotatable,I by

.means of hand wheels I6, independently of the shafts I1 that control the leaving roll housing.

e The two shafts I1 cfa-each housing 3 are inter,-

connected to rotate in unison, and sprocket chains I9 (extending in the line of sight in Fig. I)V afford means ,tothis'end Thus, the entering or` ported roll 4,'note Fig. IV. The yokes 400; ,supf A ported bythe spindles 40I in secure engagementv with the roll housings 3, are severally adjustable angularly and axially of their spindles 40|; that"A i-s, the rolls 4 are-adjustable radially of the-pass line -of the machine, and the angularity,-;of-1.ther

roll axes with respect to such pass linenmayfbe varied. Means for effecting such'adjustment, of

theyokes 400, and in consequence the coopera-l tive relation of the rolls, willrpreseritly be` described. I' i 1W". l'

Advantageously, the roll housings 3 are formed bly with a housing section 30. Thus, each roll are slidable longitudinally `thereof. .lis`

Conveniently, a shaft I1 is `arranged on `each sidevof the housings 3, as shown in Fig. II, and, as appears in Fig. If the shafts organizedpass of the machine comprises four unit assemblies comprising a housing section 30, yoke 400, motor 40 and roll 4,*and each of such unit assemblies is a duplicate of another. Indeed, a roll pass may thus be constructed of four identical units, and the three roll passes `of the machine may be formed by twelve identical units arranged in three groups, and assembled upon the bed elements 2.

The rotary drive shaft 4| of each motor 40 extends through the hollow supporting spindle 40| of the roll it drives, and Fig. V shows how a train of reduction gears 42 are connected' to the neck 43 of roll 4; bevel gears 44 and cross shaft 45 transmit rotation from power shaft 4| to the gears 42, whereby the roll is powerfully rotated by its own driving motor. It will be understood, therefore, that each driven roll of the machine is provided with its own, mechanically independent driving unit 40, and that by regulating the R. P. M. of the several motors the peripheral speeds of the rolls may be severally adjusted in a manner which cannot be achieved readily. if at all in a machine having a main drive shaft to which several rolls are geared. More importantly, the driving organization adapts itself readily to different peripheral roll speeds in the several roll groups of the apparatus, which adaptability is useful in performing a polishing operation on the stock by pulling it through the apparatus by increased peripheral rollspeed in successive passes. While the driving. units 40 are mechanically independent, they are subject to common electric control. That is to say, the operation of the several driving units 40 is susceptible of electrical coordination, by means of well-known electric devices which in themselves form no part of the present invention, and, therefore,` are not illustrated.

Referring particularly to Fig. IV, it will be seen that each housing segment includes a plurality of roll-adjusting screws 32 `that extend parallel to the stem 40| of the yoke installed in such housing segment; the several screws 32 are spaced apart circumferentially of the spindle 40|, and severally make threaded engagement with brushings 33 secured in the housing segment.y At its outer end the spindle 40| is integrated with a vflange member 34, upon which the motor 40 is mounted; the flange 34 carries a plurality of setscrews 35 that project through the -body of the flange, and bear against a floating ring 36. The outer ends of the yoke-adjusting screws 32 normally abut the ring 36, while the inner ends of the screws 32 bear against the face 402 of the yoke, and it is manifest that, by tightening the set-screws 35 against the ring 36, the spindle 40| is drawnvto the right (Fig. IV), and the face 402 of the yoke is pressed forcefully against the inner ends of adjusting screws 32, while the ring 36 is urged with equal and opposite force against the outer ends of said screws 32. Thus, the structure engages with clamping effect the opposite ends of the adjusting screws 32, and, such screws being normally stationary in housing segment 30, the yoke is rigidly held in adjusted position. Conveniently, the set-screws 35 carry nuts 31, to lock the set-screws in their normally tightened positions.

It will be understood that, by loosening the set-screws 35, the pressure on ring 36 is relieved, and the clamping Vpressure of the yoke face 402 against the inner ends of the adjusting screws 32 is interrupted, whereby the spindle may be turned in the housing 30, and the angular posimachine, may be regulated. Still considering 10 Fig. IV, a pinion gear 38 is mounted upon each of the unthreaded portions 32a with which the .yoke-adjusting screws are provided; each pinion gear' 30 is held against lateral movement in aV housing 39, and the gear is slidably feathered to the journal portion 32a of the screw with which it is associated; the several pinion gears 36 mesh in common with a ring gear 50 that is idly mounted upon the hollow spindle 40|, and, manifestly, by rotating one of the screws 32 in housing segment 30, all screws 32 are caused to rortate in unison therewith. Movement of the screws in one direction of rotation or the other causes such screws to travel in unison laterally of the housing segment 30, to the right or to the left (Fig.

-adapted .to be adjusted in unison, whereby they may be moved in synchronism radially inward or outward of the pass line, as the jaws of a rotary chuck are movable relatively to the axis about `which a piece of work is to be rotated in a machine tool, say in a lathe. To this end one of the adjusting screws 32 of each yoke carries a bevel gear 5|. As shown in Fig. II, the bevel gears 5| of the several yoke and motor assemblies of a pass of rolls are interconnected, by means of bevel gears 52, connecting shafts 53, 55, and universal joints 54. The shaft 53 is equipped with a hand wheel 56; rotation of such hand wheel is eective to rotate in unison all of the adjusting screws 32 of the four yokes in the pass of cross-rolls, and, manifestly, all rolls 4 of the pass are thus susceptible of adjustment in concert, in the manner described in the forepart of thisl specincation.

Various structural modifications may be made by any skilled worker in the art of cross-roll straightening machines without substantial modication in those elements pf my machine organ- 60 ization in which novelty primarily resides, and having exemplified my invention by showing and describing one apparatus embodiment thereof, that invention is to be limited only by the statement of the claims appended hereto.

I claim as my invention:

V1. A cross-roll straightening machine having plural four-roll passes; each pass assembly comprising a frame, means for mounting four crossrolls with approximately equal angular spacing in said frame concentrically with the center line of a pass formed by the said rolls for the reception of round stock therebetween and means for driving at least one roll of said pass; means for adjusting at least one pass assemblyI as a whole transversely of the machine with respect IV), depending upon the direction of screw rota.-V

to' the pass line of the machine deilectingly to. v

act on stock travelling through the machine, and

as a whole longitudinally of the pass line.

2. A cross-rollV straightening machine having at least three four-roll passes; each pass assembly comprising a frame, means for mounting four cross-rolls with approximately equal angular spacing in said frame concentrically with the center line of a pass formed by the said rolls for the'reception of round stock therebetween and individually powered driving means for the said four rolls of the pass assembly: and means for adjusting one pass assembly as a whole transversely of the machine with respect to the pass line formed by the other two pass assemblies of l the machine deiiectingly to act on stock travelling through the machine.

3. A cross-roll straightening machine having` at least three four-roll passes; each pass assembly comprising a frame, means for mounting four cross-rolls with approximately equal angular spacing in said frame concentrically with the center line of a pass formed by the said rolls for the reception of round stock therebetween and means for driving at least one roll of said pass; and means for adjusting one pass assembly as a whole transversely of the machine with respect to the pass line formed by the other two pass assemblies of the machine defiectingly to act on stock travelling through the machine. Y

4. In a cross-roll straightening machine having plural four-roll passes; a pass assembly compass assembly as a whole longitudinally of the pass line deiiectingly to act on stock travelling' through the machine.

' means for adjusting at least one pass assembly l5. Ay cross-roll straightening machine having plural four-roll passes; 'each pass assembly comprising a frame,4 means for mounting four crossrolls with approximately equal angular spacing in said frame concentrically with thecenter line of a pass formed by the said rolls for the reception of round stock therebetween and individually powered driving means for the said four rolls of the pass assembly; means for adjusting at least one pass assembly as a whole transversely of the machine with respect to the pass line of the machine deiiectingly to act on stock travelling through the machine, and means for adjusting at least one pass assembly as a whole longitudinally of the `pass line.

6. A cross-roll straightening machine having at least three four-roll passes; each pass assembly comprising a frame, means for mounting four cross-rolls with approximately equal angular 'spacing in said frame concentrically with the center line of a pass formed by the said rolls for the receptionof round stock therebetween and means for driving at least one roll of said pass assembly; and means for adjusting one pass assembly as a whole out of pass alignment with the other pass assemblies deiiectingly to act on stock travelling through the machine,

'1. A cross-m11 straightening machine-having at least three four-roll passesyeach pass assembly comprising a frame, means for mounting four cross-rolls with approximately equal spacing in said frame concentrically \withv.a pass formed by the said rolls for the reception of round stock therebetween and individually powered driving JOHN BLAIR SUTTON. i 

